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April 12th, 2016

Rachel Efstathion
405 Williams Building
Tallahassee, FL 32306
Dear Ms. Efstathion,
Upon completing the course of ENC2135 I feel as if my theory of writing has changed in certain
contexts but still has the same base as before. I entered this class nervously because I have
always classified myself as an awful writer, mainly because I did not enjoy it. Looking forward,
my mentality has changed positively and my work has highly improved. I have learned more
technical terms which enhance my writing and tie it together, but the overall purpose of writing
has remained constant and I still look at my theory as a guideline for future writing. I have an
altered view of the term genre because of this course entirely; I never would have classified it
as an object, such as my podcast or anonymous discussion board created in project three. In the
past I looked at genre as fiction, non-fiction, or fantasy. In project one, writing about five
objects that meant something to me was easy and encouraging. Titling each object as a genre
allowed me to see each object as something besides a necklace, or a tattoo, and that they had
more of a purpose and were not just objects. Redefining this term expands my abilities to
write. My theory requires the understanding of my key terms to be incorporated into my work
and to be able to consider my writing successful. Organization, clarity, emotion, planning,
purpose, flow, genre, originality and audience have become crucial to me throughout this
semester. As I entered this class my theory states Writing is about expression and emotion. In
order to write well, there is a notion behind it. People write for purpose, yet purposes have
variety. Writing can be done for pure enjoyment, research, feelings, or to silently speak. Writing
is inspiring and unique. I believe writing is used for expression, whether it is in a formal or
informal way. Writing is used every day whether you are writing in your planner, for a class, or
for your own journal. I truly feel there is no right or wrong way to define writing. Further, it
can be used to express feelings, thoughts, share memories, invent imaginary stories, or educate a
specific audience with facts and research; writing is an immensely useful tool and skill to have.
My beliefs still stand by my past definition for theory of writing, just with some improvement
with advanced knowledge. Two journals/in class writings contributed to my outlook on writing
drastically. First, when we were working with genre we participated in Genre, Audience, and
Rhetorical Situation. We were given five scenarios to write about that strategically apply to our
audience and the correct use of genre conventions. This opened my eyes to new perspectives on
my writing, before hand I dont know if I even thought about who my audience was, how to
properly address them, or what style of language to use. After completing this activity, I was
speechless and embarrassed. Because of this, I use adequate writing inside and outside this
course. For example, emailing professors, texting friends, or writing formally in my classes. My
key terms that were generated in ENC2135 specifically, can be applied outside of the classroom,
and in my attitudes towards everyday life. For example, originality, emotion and purpose can be
put behind any notion for a goal I wish to accomplish. Life has a purpose. In each project we
have conducted, I analyzed my audience first, then created the context in which I would write. In
order for writing to flow, connections need to be made and the audience has to be applied.
Second, the journal Creating a Research Space, more specifically Swales model has had a
strong impact not only on writing for research, but what I now believe should be in all writing. I
looked at research papers as finding information, stating your opinion and citing your source.

That is all. In Bedfords Book of Genres and the CARS model, they both exclaim previewing
your research being a strong component, before I never thought to consider the timing of the
topic: if it is new or old, if it is relevant, if I was passionate about it, or if it is something that can
be applied realistically. Nor did I ever think that there was a space I was required to fill
because the research had already been done. As I further addressed my topic in project three, I
chose a topic that is of current debate, one I am passionate about, and one where I can apply my
genres of research realistically in order to do something about the issue. The knowledge I gained
in your class in regards to considering my audience, and setting the correct tone allowed me to
narrow down my audience to specifically the Victim Advocacy Centers from FSU and FAMU
which proves to be more effective when striving to achieve the purpose of my project. Because
of genre, I was able to create two specific outlets for victims of sexual assault. I was able to
consider who my specific audience was, what could directly apply to them and work for their
individual situations. Using the anonymous discussion board for timid victims worked extremely
well, and correlated with the podcast. In my future endeavors through college I will enroll in
upper level writing courses and my grade will be aided by the knowledge I gained in this class. I
also strive to conduct my own research in chemistry which in turn will require me to produce an
effective research report where I will be guided by the Swales model. Research papers used to
be my biggest fear but after tedious hours spent on project three, I have learned to incorporate
what makes research enjoyable and my own, even when I use assemblage. My theory of writing
will continue to develop throughout my courses at FSU but this class has definitely been a
catalyst of inspiration that I will utilize in my future papers.
Sincerely,
Alex Bass
Alex Bass

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